Say Nothing... (The Speak Series Book 2) by T.A. Roth

says smiling.
    "No. That was all Ben," she says grinning.
    My knee begins to bounce as I nervously wring the napkin on my lap. I'm planning my escape when Ben places a hand on my thigh. My chest constricts, and I have to remember to take a breath. I can't freak out here . . . I can't. I decide to focus on anything but his face. My appetite is currently nonexistent, so distracting myself with the food currently on my plate is not even an option.
    They continue chatting and their voices begin to sound like white noise.
    "Ari?" I look up and notice all eyes on me.
    "Yeah?" I ask, hoping they’re not waiting for me to answer another question.
    "Are you okay?" Ben asks. I feel my throat beginning to close up, so I nod.
    "You look pale, dear. Are you sure you're okay?" Ben’s mom asks.
    I go to reach for my glass of water and end up spilling it. Ben's reflexes are quick, so he's able to scoot his chair back in time for it to miss him. I, on the other hand, am not that lucky. The ice cold water tips over right on my lap. The front of my dress is completely soaked and rivulets of water begin to run down my legs. "Fucking wonderful," I mutter under my breath. I stand abruptly almost knocking a second glass of water on Vonne.
    "Excuse me," I say, tossing the soaked napkin on the table.
    I walk back inside and find the nearest restroom. The front of my dress is still dripping as I walk over to the sink to wring it out. A large hand dryer hangs from the wall, and I stand underneath it a few minutes using the time to calm my frazzled nerves. It's just a matter of time before Ben sends Vonne to check in on me.
    I'm still trying to work the wrinkles out of my damp dress as I abruptly turn the corner. Warm hands wrap around my upper arms to steady me.
    "Whoa." My head jerks up, and Amos's eyes are trained on me. I can't move.
    "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just on my way to the restroom. You okay?"
    His thumbs start to rub slow circles on my skin. It takes a few seconds for me to gain my bearings and pull out of his hold.
    "I'm good. I was just heading back," I say with a shaky smile. Not waiting for a response, I move past him quickly and head back to the table.
     

    "Should I go check on her?" Vonne asks.
    "We'll give her a few minutes." She nods in agreement.
    I don't know what's gotten into her. She had that look again. The glazed eyes and pale face. I've already pressured her into therapy so asking her to see a doctor will just set her off again. She's walking toward the table and the color has luckily come back to her cheeks.
    "Sorry about that," she says as she sits. "I can be such a klutz."
    I wrap my arm around the back of her chair and lean in.
    "You sure you're okay?" I ask.
    She turns, kisses my cheek and smiles. "Fine. I promise."
    Amos makes his way back to the table. Just in time for our food to be served.
    "So how long will you be in town?" my mother asks.
    "We're only here until tomorrow. We have a show on Sunday. We're taking a red-eye back, just as soon as the guys are done with their set," Amos replies.
    "Any plans to play in the states anytime soon?" Vonne asks.
    Ari glares at her, and she just smiles.
    "We have about two weeks left on the tour. As soon as we're done in Japan, we head back home to London. They'll have a month off before going back to the studio. We have some studio time set up out here. We usually set up some impromptu gigs so they can work out the kinks on their new stuff. When that happens, I'll make sure to let Ben know," he says winking at Vonne.
    "That would be great. Thanks," she says giddily.
    "Do you not like their music?" Amos asks, directing his question at Ari. She straightens in her seat, fidgeting with her napkin.
    "Please, we borderline stalked them our senior year in high school. We've been fans since their first album. Don't let her innocent face fool you," Vonne answers.
    Amos chuckles.
    "Thanks for that," she says looking at Vonne. Vonne shrugs giving her a sheepish